Joe Barbaro
Joe Barbaro (1924-1951, his death is implied, but uncertain) is Vito Scaletta's best friend. While Vito was fighting in WWII, he started to get into illegal activities. When Vito returns from the war with nothing but family debt, Joe helps him out, inviting Vito to join him in his life of crime. He is also the playable character of the upcoming DLC Joe's Adventures. Background Joe is a career criminal and lifelong friend of Vito Scaletta. Brash and unpredictable, Joe can seemingly make trouble out of nothing. As a child, Joe was the neighbourhood bully. He met Vito when the younger boy offered to fight him for a place in his gang. Over the next 10 years, the pair of them made a great team, rational Vito keeping wild Joe in check as they enjoyed a life of petty crime. The pair became closer than brothers and trust each other with their lives. These days Joe lives large - strong booze, fast cars and loose women. Moving up the criminal ladder is the perfect way for him to feed his vices. When Vito returns home on leave from the war, Joe finds him and gives him forged discharge documents to ensure that Vito doesn't have to return. After Vito's father died, his debts to local loan sharks were passed on to his family. He convinces Vito to join him in the Mafia to settle his father's debts before the loan sharks come after his family. Joe and Vito become 'Made Men' in the Falcone family at some point in 1951. Personality Joe is very loud and flamboyant and therefore the opposite of his best friend Vito who is the strong silent type. He is very similar to Falcone Underboss Eddie Scarpa. He is a shoot-first-ask-later kind of guy and his best friend Vito is often left to clean up his mess. Death (possibly implied) At the end of the game after Carlo Falcone is killed by Vito Scaletta because of a deal that he had made with Leone Galante, Joe is taken into another car as they go celebrate at the Cathouse. As Vito speaks with Leone in the car on the way to the Cathouse, he soon finds out that Joe is on his way to being possibly whacked. Leone says that Joe wasn't a part of the deal, because of the trouble he made with Vito earlier in the game. The credits then roll after the camera dollys away from the vehicle of Vito and Leone. But his fate still remains unknown. It is suspected that his fate may be revealed in a future DLC, as evidence of content called "Joe's Adventures" was found in the text files of the game and on Steam when you are checking what DLC's are. Trivia *Joe was born in 1924 (He's one year older than Vito). *Denby Grace described him as a "shoot first, ask questions later kinda guy". *His apartment will change over time to reflect his changing income and tastes. *His appearance, much like Vito's, has changed since the beginning of development. *Joe favors a Tommy Gun, but is also seen with the Colt M1911 Special several times, and (although much less often), a shotgun. *The game ends in 1951 making Joe 27 at the game's end. *In game dialoge suggests Joe has a sister often yelling " you shoot like my sister" during combat. *In Chapter 14: Stairway to Heaven, Joe and Vito have to kill Thomas Angelo as part of a job, all they knew was that he ratted out his friends to the feds. *In Chapter 10 after he kills Don Clemente you can see him crying for Marty. This is the only time that Joe cries in the game. *Joe's friendship with the teenager Marty resembles the life of young Henry Hill in "Goodfellas" as Henry joined the Mafia at a young age just like Marty. When Tommy Devito is killed in Goodfellas. This deeply effects Jimmy Conway in the same way as it effected Joe in Chapter 10. Yet another reference to ""Goodfellas"" is The scene where Joe is selling cigarettes with Vito in The Wild Ones. This scene resembles the scene where Jimmy Conway is selling cigarettes to corrupt officers. Joe also sold some to a corrupt officer in the chapter. *Joe is one of the characters on the Mafia II game cover along with Vito, Eddie and Henry *In cutscene's he can be seen wearing a crucifix, he is most likely catholic though not devoutly so. *It's possible that Joe's name is reference to real Don Joseph Barbara. *Joe will sometimes complain when Vito goes over the speed limit or passes through a red light. This goes against his nature to act and have fun with out thinking. *It is unknown wether Joe is Sicilian like Vito and Henry. *Joe is the only character other than Vito that appears in every chapter, though sometimes only in cutscenes. *It is relieved in Chapter 7 (In Loving Memory of Francesco Potenza) that one of his favourite singers is Dean Martin. He and Eddie can both be heard singing his song Return to Me after Vito's "Welcome Back party". *Joe will join Vito, Jimmy and Tommy as one of the playable characters in the Mafia series in a new DLC pack titled Joe's Adventures for Mafia II Gallery joe_profile.jpg|Concept art of Joe. Joey barbaro.jpg Vito joe profile.jpg|Concept art of Vito and Joe joe barbaro mafia 1.jpg|Joe in his earliest appearance, in Mafia I. File:Henryvitojoe.jpg|Joe with friends Vito and Henry. File:Joe_in_with_the_girls.jpg|Joe at the Cathouse. Barbaro.jpg|Joe's early appearance. Mafiaii 018.jpg|Joe and Vito. File:Mafia_II_-_Digital_Deluxe_Artbook-036.png Barbaro, Joe Barbaro, Joe